Tale of the Grey Cat
by Kiribou
Summary: From the author of "Tale of the Orange Bird", after 5 years of hiatus, comes the new pairing! With better(?) writing skill and funnier(?) story and plot this time around, please do enjoy! Starts from the night when Silver Gospel incident ended. Those who read Orange Bird may find the first 200 words similar but it's becomes different after. *Pic not mine, taken from Zerochan
1. Confession

Hi people, it's been awhile.  
To be honest, About Tale of the Orange Bird; I've thought through it again and again.  
Supposingly, the story-line is supposed to end after Lingyin is placed in solitary confinement but i tried to add more things and stuff got way complicated. TOO complicated in fact.

Note to self - inexperienced writers should never add OCs into a anime fanfic.

Those who want to know how Tale of the Orange Bird will end, you can send me a PM and i promise THIS TIME, i'll definitely reply to people.  
For now, I hope you guys will enjoy this first chapter of Tale of the Grey Cat.

As per usual, no comments will be filtered and all critical comments are welcomed! HAPPY 2017 PEOPLE! (I can't believe the last time i updated was 2012? Time flies)

* * *

The Silverio Gospel case has been resolved.

A few hours have passed since then; evidently shown by the darkness of the night sky, gently illuminated by the moon above. All light sources within the seaside resort are out, and everyone within has already been swept to the land of dreams with the soothing sounds of waves in a gentle sea breeze.

Well, that is, everyone except for Ichika Orimura. While tossing and turning on his futon, his mind once again slowly drifting back to the same scene – Whereby his childhood friend, Houki Shinonono, asked him if he had ever noticed her as someone of the opposite sex. At the same time, she grasped his hand and pressing it against her…breasts…

What's more, at the heat of the moment he actually went forward with the intention to kiss…Houki…

Heat slowly creeps up his neck to the cheeks at the mere reminder of that incident. Ichika abruptly sits up, shaking his head wildly in an attempt to dispel the impure thoughts within his mind. Yet, he can't help but blush as the images flow through his mind repeatedly.

"Argh! Just what was I thinking? Houki is a girl BUT she's also a childhood friend; she's practically like a sister to me!" Ichika slaps his face with both hands, as he vocalized his thoughts out loud. Probably a little too loud as within the next instant, an alarm clock zooms past and barely scraping the tip of his nose. Smashing directly onto the wall, the clock fell apart in smithereens.

"Shut up, you idiot – I'm trying to sleep here!"

His elder sister, Chifuyu Orimura, barks in annoyance while giving Ichika a sleepy glare. Seeing that Ichika received the message extremely clearly from the expression of fear on his face, she then turns her back on him to get back to sleep once more.

(Well, at least Chifuyu-nee frightened the impure thoughts out of my head)

Ichika thought silently to himself this time, after that near-death experience from a flying alarm clock. Smiling weakly to himself, he has almost forgotten that both of them were sharing a room after that fiasco hours ago.

Right, back then before the kiss happened, Cecilia and the rest found them and went absolutely ballistic, nearly killing(?) him with their deployed personal IS. If not for Chifuyu Orimura who happened to be nearby, the consequences may have been…disastrous. This is also why Chifuyu asked him to sleep at the same room as her, insisting that anything else other than that may lead to another scene of carnage.

Ichika sighs quietly.

(I definitely can't sleep right now, perhaps going out for a walk and taking in fresh air will help.)

He slides open the door gently, and before he can take the first step out of the door he notices a figure already outside, with a shocked expression on her face.

Was she waiting in front of the door? But why would she do something so out of character?

"C-Cecilia? What are you doing outside the room?"

Clearly not prepared for Ichika to just unexpectedly open the door, Cecilia stifles her urge to cry out in surprise.

"I-I-Ichika?! Ah…just come with me!" Cecilia stammers, nearly biting her tongue as she grabs Ichika's arm, not waiting for his reply before dragging him into an empty room, conveniently located next to the Orimura siblings'.

The door shuts behind them. Yet, Ichika is still totally bewildered by Cecilia's actions; waiting for her to explain her weird actions.

"Cecilia, is everything alright?" Ichika asks first, breaking the awkward silence within the room.

"H-huh? Oh, of course! Just a little tipsy from the alcohol, that's all!"

Despite having some small talk, the atmosphere only seems to get even more awkward with every passing moment.

(Cecilia is acting somewhat weird today…or is it just me…?)

The ever thick-headed Ichika thought to himself silently, watching Cecilia with concern as she fidgets unnaturally, looking as though as she has some desperately important to ask.

"Thank goodness you didn't try to shoot me for real after that first shot to my face; otherwise with your skills I would have probably died there."

"H-huh-ah right of course! With this lady's skills, of course I'll have to spare you some leeway!" Despite a fair bit of stammering, Cecilia manages to get back to her normal self again.

"That's more like the Cecilia that I know, haha."

"I-I-I-Ichika…!" After a faint moment of silence, Cecilia finally found the courage to say what she's wanted to ask.

"Y-Yes?"

"Well, that is…do you like Houki? As in, do you a-a-actually see her as, well, m-m-more than just a friend?"

That was a question that has been floating around his mind, bugging Ichika the whole night. Yet, when asked by another, it hit him like a bolt out of the blue.

(Do I really like her just as a friend? Sure, she has grown up to from a tomboy to a beautiful young woman...but thinking about it right now, I much rather we stay as friends.)

"…I-Ichika?"

"…Cecilia, I only like Houki as a friend, nothing more than that." After thinking it through, Ichika made his decision.

"Really?" Cecilia exclaims, as a faint flicker of delight on her face betrays the excitement she's containing within her. After all, with Houki now out of the picture, her chances of being with Ichika will no doubt be higher. "Then, if that's the case…who do you like the most?"

"Ah? Well…"

BANG

The door flies open. A shadow of a lady swiftly moves behind Cecilia Alcott and with a swift chop to the neck, she falls unconscious, dead to the world without knowing what hit her. If not for Ichika catching her in time, she'll have definitely fallen straight onto the ground.

"What did I tell you about leaving the room? Not only is my little brother an idiot, but perhaps now he doesn't even listen to his own sister huh?"

"Chifuyu-nee? But you didn't say anything about leaving the roo-OUCH!" Before Ichika can retort back, a finger flick strikes him right on the center of his forehead.

"Don't talk back. Goodness…If I wasn't worried about you dropping Alcott I'll smash your head down with my fist. Come, follow me and bring Alcott along with you, moron."

After making sure that Cecilia is placed in proper care (on her bed), Ichika is forcefully dragged back into the siblings' room by Chifuyu Orimura.

"Honestly, even someone as dense as you should have found out by now, right?" Chifuyu let out a strong heave, opening a can of beer, "Right now, be it more or less, all five of the girls have some form of feelings towards you."

Ichika nods his head. "Yes…after seeing how Houki and Cecilia acted, I'll probably be the densest human alive if I still didn't notice something like this." As the words came out of his mouth, his face starts burning up slightly once more.

Houki Shinonono

Cecilia Alcott

Lingyin Huang

Charlotte Dunois

Laura Bodewig

All of them are wonderful friends, rivals, as well as comrades that Ichika has gone through life and death situations with. It's of little wonder that after coming to their rescue, time and again, they'll develop feelings for Ichika.

"Not bad, at least you're aware of something." Chifuyu gave Ichika an approving grin, gulping down the can of beer, "Take your time to choose…there's no way that a guy like you can think it through so quickly."

"Thanks, Chifuyu-nee. I really will need some time to think this through…I think for now, I'll go back to sleep first though."

As Ichika went back to his futon while still deep in thought, Chifuyu walks out to dispose of the beer can.

"Hmph, no matter who you choose, know that it will be a bumpy road ahead. Good luck, you idiotic brother."

* * *

Daybreak soon arrives. Laura Bodewig wakes up refreshed and within moments, she straightens up her attire and tidies up herself, ready to face a brand new day.

"Oh?"

As she slides open the wooden door, a letter that was held in between the doors fall onto the floor.

"A letter from Instructor- no, from Ichika Orimura?"

Unfolding the letter, she read the contents written.

[Laura, meet me near the pond at the garden later, before breakfast.]

– Ichika Orimura

"My bride wishes to see me? Well so be it." Laura whispers softly to herself, before heading out of the room after checking her attire once more.

Walking towards the pond, Laura spots Ichika already there, waiting patiently for her. As Laura approaches, Ichika smiles at her, waving her over.

"Yes, I believe you asked me over? What is it about?"

"Hey, Laura. Well…you see, yesterday night Cecilia asked me who did I like the most."

(What? That underhanded, thieving no-good bride stealer! Don't tell me…)

Laura's brain overheated in an instant, thinking of all the worst possible scenarios.

(Don't tell me…this is the so-called NTR that Clarissa has warned me about?! Is Ichika going to be taken away from me?)

(No wait, calm down Laura; don't jump into needless conclusions. I'll try to probe the answer out of him as stealthily as possible…)

"S-S-So, what did you say to her?" Despite all her mental preparations, Laura still stammered her words slightly.

"Well, that's the thing. Before I can think of a reply, Chifuyu-nee knocked her unconscious." Ichika replies while shrugging his shoulders.

(Good job Instructor Orimura!)

Laura gives Chifuyu thumbs up within her imagination.

(Wait a minute, if he needs to think of a reply, doesn't that mean he doesn't like Cecilia in that way? Oh thank goodness!)

A slight trace of guilt flutters by her head for thinking that way before Laura removes it out of her mind, replacing it with secret joy.

"Well, good job then. As my bride, you shouldn't even be meeting other girls at night. That's immoral."

"Well, I don't know about being your bride, but I'll most definitely be alright with being…your husband." Even as Ichika's voice gets increasingly softer, he still manages to finish his sentence audibly with a heated face.

"…"

"…"

"…W-W-W-What did you SAY?!"

Laura took a while to actually process what Ichika said a few moments ago, but when the message finally got through her, her brain overloaded instantly. Despite it being a cold, breezy morning, Laura feels her body heating up with each passing second, especially her face.

(Is this a dream? This isn't a dream right?)

"After giving it some thought last night, I realised that ever since the day we kissed, I have been in love with you. It's just that I was too dense to realise about that either." As Ichika begins to confess his feelings more, he slowly move toward Laura; whereas Laura, with her mind still floaty, moves back at about the same pace.

(Wait, why am I moving backwards? He…he's my bride! I should be the one…but I'm just too embarrassed right now-Ah!)

Laura finds herself back facing a tree, swiftly cutting off her path of retreat.

(Shoot, I got too careless…!)

While frantically looking left and right, Ichika has already arrived in front of her, his hands placing on the wall for support while at the same time, cutting all other routes of "escaping" for Laura Bodewig.

(…! T-T-T-This is the legendary Kabe-don that Clarissa keeps telling me about! I can't believe that it's now used against me…!)

"Laura, I may not be able to defeat you one-on-one, but I'll definitely protect you from any dangers that you may face, together. Will you be willing to be my bride instead?" Having found more courage, Ichika manages to express his confession slightly louder without stammering and mutterings.

"…Mmm."

With a face as red as a tomato and an extremely meek yet embarrassed expression, Laura nodded her head gently a couple of times. Seeing Laura in such a manner reminded Ichika of the first time she wore the black bikini and tied up her hair…the expression she's showing on her face now is way cuter than back then.

The urge to tease Laura rises up within Ichika. Lifting her chin up, Ichika dives in for a sudden kiss. Laura, whose is just about to calm down, instead heats up again furiously as she feels their tongue intertwining with one another. It's only after few seconds before their lips finally separate.

Before Laura can say anything, Ichika speaks out with a slight blush on his face, "I will make you my bride! That's decided, and I won't accept any objections!"

Laura's face changes from one of embarrassment to a stunned one, before a sudden moment of clarity hit her, which causes to chuckle slightly.

(This time around, it's exactly like what happened a few days ago, except we're re-enacting it with switched roles, isn't it?)

"More like, that how it's supposed to be?" Laura replied, plastered onto her face is her confident smile, one you'll usually only see when she's on her Personal IS, Schwarzer Regen. Yet, with a tinge of redness across her cheeks, it transforms into a radiant and loving smile.

"Ichika Orimura, I'll accept you as my husband. Be prepared, however; I won't let you off if you ever become weak or if you ever cheat on me!" Back to her normal self again, Laura declares to Ichika.

"Of course not; after all, I'm yours."

"…Hmph, we're going to go for more ground fighting practices as well; I expect you to be at least at the level of Instructor Orimura before we actually formalize our wedding." Ducking out of the Kabe-don, Laura walks off by herself with the usual "∧"-shape mouth.

"You don't really mean that, do you? Hey, Laura! Don't run away!" Ichika chases after Laura.

A few meters away from their original position however, a girl dressed up in her trademark yellow fox costume stands up, exiting her hiding spot behind a tree and some bushes.

"Iyaa…Ichika and Laura, together as a couple? This is big news; I'll need to go back and tell the rest first…"


	2. The Grey Cat's Best Friend

Heyo people, Happy CNY!  
Here's another chapter mainly because i'm procrastinating from work; wish i can do that all the time oh well-  
Too bad one cannot simply just survive with hobbies and passions, huh?

Anyways, Do feel free to comment and find faults on stuff like OOC-ness and spelling errors, thanks! Enjoy this chapter people!

P.S. It'll be great if you guys can wish me a happy CNY hahaha that will make my day :P

* * *

"That can't be true!"

"Exactly, Ichika Orimura belongs to all of us? How can this kind of thing happen?"

"Could it be a simple misunderstanding? I mean, viewed from a different angle, maybe it's not how it looks?"

Despite being IS cadets, they're all teenage girls at the age where events such as love and romance are placed in foremost priority. Combined with the innate capability of gossip, within a short moment everyone has heard about the news.

Of course, that includes the personal IS holders – Cecilia Alcott, Lingyin Huang (aka Rin), Houki Shinonono and Charlotte Dunois. Upon hearing the news, the first thing each of them did was to gather together in the hall where breakfast is usually served.

"Houki, did you manage to find Ichika?" Cecilia asks Houki the instant the four of them got together.

"No, I even took a slight detour to the garden to take a quick look; there's no sign of them anywhere." Houki shakes her head, while gripping tightly onto the _bokken_ that she intended to train with Ichika this morning, before hearing the unimaginable news. "What about the rest of you-"

"…He…he promised to eat my sour pork every day…THAT LIAR!"

"Men who toy with young girls' pure affection should be kicked by a horse and die!"

Having being unable to find Ichika as well, both Rin and Charlotte vents their anger by mumbling aggressively.

"W…Wait a minute, you all; the rumour hasn't been confirmed yet, let's not jump straight to conclusions that quickly-" Even though she's feeling worried as well, Cecilia tries to calm herself down to the best of her capabilities.

"But it's true!" Honne comes hopping by while puffing her cheeks and shaking her arms violently, "I've seen and heard everything; Ichika and Laura were together…"

" " " "Yes?!" " " "

"Then, Ichika confessed to Laura, right after that he pushed her onto the wall and the both of them…KISSED!" Honne threw both her over-lengthened sleeved arms into the air while emphasizing the word "kiss".

 **CRACK**

The _bokken_ which Houki had held onto cracks, leaving it bent into an unnatural shape.

Charlotte looks as though as her soul has flown away, leaving only an empty shell of a body with an expressionless feature.

A soft, yet scary laughter flows out of Cecilia's mouth, with an expression that can only be said to be stuck in the middle of disbelief and unacceptance.

Rin simply just has dead eyes. Dead, dead eyes that reflects nothing.

Meanwhile, all the other girls explode into a flurry of conversation, with all different kinds of opinions flying around the dining hall.

 **BAM**

"WHAT ARE YOU GIRLS SO NOISY ABOUT? GET BACK TO YOUR SEATING POSITIONS, NOW!"

The door slams open, and a demonic aura spreads out from that very door as Chifuyu Orimura walks in along with their assistant teacher, Yamada Maya. Everyone turns their head to that direction and in an instant, the entire room turns silent.

In the next second, everyone scramble back to their seats. Even the personal IS holders break out of their trance and get to their respective places.

"As IS pilot cadets, I expect a certain level of discipline from each and every one of you, especially the four of you!" Chifuyu points at the four personal IS holders, "I've expected the four of you to be personal role models for the rest, but it seems like I was wrong, perhaps?"

None of them dare to raise up their heads, with faces filled with shame.

"So, what's with the entire hullabaloo? Dunois!"

A sharp command from Chifuyu Orimura that cannot be denied an answer strikes Charlotte, as she quickly replies, "Well the thing is, we've heard the rumour about I-I-Ichika and Laura being…together?"

Another wave of soft whispers spread out across the hall, only to be quickly shut down by a fierce glare from Chifuyu. After a short moment of silence, she heaves out a sigh, expressing a look of disappointment.

"Gosh, are you girls here for gossiping, matchmaking or to pilot an IS? I'll now reveal the truth to you all; Maya, can you please bring the two of them in?"

With a silent nod, Maya left the hall only to come back a few seconds later with both Ichika and Laura, as faces of shock, surprise and resignation appear in many of their faces.

All eyes are on Ichika and Laura, making the both of them feeling somewhat nervous. Still, Ichika clears his throat with a cough, breaking the tense silence that had been filling up the whole hall, "Err, well yes as you all can see here, Laura and I can currently…together." Right after saying that, he holds Laura's hand and raises it up.

Even for a person who's usually tough and confident, when experiencing something new Laura cannot help but have a face full of pink, trying her best not to grin out wide.

"Alright people, breakfast have already been delayed for quite enough. Let's all get to eating and stop delaying practice." Back to her normal frowning face, Chifuyu drags Ichika and Laura together with her to seat, "Oh and I know all you girls probably have a lot of queries and questions to ask these two, but let's wait until at least after breakfast. Ichika, Laura, come with me after breakfast as well."

Even though it's very evident that Chifuyu is, at the very least temporarily shielding the couple, no one in the hall dares to challenge her words, not even the personal IS holders. Still, small pockets of murmuring and whispering still occur within groups.

Breakfast soon ended. Chifuyu, along with Ichika and Laura went straight back to her office.

"Chifuyu-nee…is this really alright?"

"What do you mean if it is really alright? You made your choice, so man up a bit. Stop whining about every small little detail or problem."

"But instructor-" Before Laura manages to finish her sentence, a chop lands straight onto her head.

"Call me Orimura-sensei. Don't pester me with such childish questions; as grownups you guys should handle some responsibility of your own…or don't tell me that someone I've trained for a year can't manage something like that?"

"…! No, I won't let you down, Inst- I mean, Orimura-sensei!"

"That's better." Giving Laura a look of approval, Chifuyu turns over to look at Ichika, "In the first place, you're also the one who needed my help, so be happy that you aren't swamped by questions back then already. In fact, who asked you both to be so easily spied on…"

* * *

– 1 hour earlier –

"I've expected better from the two of you, making out so passionately before breakfast even began."

Ichika and Laura froze up, caught in the act.

"That voice…Instructor/Chifuyu-nee?"

Walking out from behind a pillar, Chifuyu glances at the couple who's currently holding hands, "Hoh, I would have never expected this quick of a progress from you. Looks like even you have reached that age, huh?" Chifuyu said with a teasing tone.

"N-N-No, it's not like that!" Despite what she said, Laura still did not remove her grip from Ichika. If anything, the grip tightens more so.

"Oh and by the way, I wasn't the only one that noticed your intimate moments. Nohotoke had also been around there, near the bushes. Not only did she see everything, but judging by the distance she probably heard every little detail. Knowing them, by the time you guy reach the dining hall the new will have spread to every last person."

Chifuyu gives the two of them a questioning look, "So, how are you two going to settle this? And also, how are you, my idiotic little brother, going to explain THIS to your other lovebirds?" While emphasizing on the word 'THIS', Chifuyu turns her glance on to their interlocked fingers.

"Of course, I'll explain to them the truth. Otherwise, how can I hold myself responsible for Laura?" Ichika looks at Laura with a loving smile.

"As expected of my bride-, no, as expected of my h-husband!" A lovely shade of pink brightens up the smile on Laura's face as well, despite her putting up a tough front.

"Alright isn't that enough flirting for one morning?" Placing a palm on her face, Chifuyu shook her head, "Seeing that you've at least grown a little more mature, I'll help you out this time. Don't worry, with me around, at least you'll survive through breakfast."

* * *

"The next time if anything is to happen, handle it by yourselves. Oh, and if Ichika misbehaves in any way, just take care of him for me; I'm counting on you to take of my idiotic brother, Laura."

(Instructor is…counting on me?)

The thought of being approved by Chifuyu has driven her into a state of nothing but pure bliss running through her mind.

"Chifuyu-nee!"

"Alright, for now go back to your usual activities." Chifuyu points at the both of us, "Be careful of being swarmed by unsatisfied girls and…hmm, wait one second."

After a quick thought, Chifuyu went over to the P.A. system and turn it on.

[Attention to all pilots, DO NOT deploy your IS unless authorization from me or Yamada-sensei. That is all.]

"That's the most I can help you two not get killed. If there's nothing else, don't come and bother me unless absolutely necessary." Chifuyu said after switching off the P.A. system.

With that, the both of us left the office and head straight back to packing up their bags. After all, today is the last day that we'll be here in the resort.

Surprisingly, for the rest of the trip none of the personal IS holders went to find Ichika, and even avoided him subtly when they see him. Although he knew that something like this may happen, Ichika felt a deep sense of dejection.

"Hopefully this is not something permanent. You all…we're still friends, right?"

As for Laura, it was just about the same treatment. Worse still, even normal IS cadets gave her weird looks, and practically all of them distinctively walk away around Laura when they see her. Even though she's already used to being alone while being in military, after hanging out with the IS personal holders for a while Laura felt the silence to be somewhat…unsettling.

She went back into her room with the intention to quickly tidy up, only to find Charlotte in the room, sitting there on the floor waiting for her.

"…" Laura simply didn't know what to say.

(Apologize? But what should I apologize for, for being chosen by Ichika? What else can I say…wait, how do I even usually talk to her. After all, she's the one who talks to me first usually.)

"Laura, can we talk for a moment? Don't look so worried, I'm not here so have a fight to the death with you, if that's what you're thinking." Charlotte looks at Laura with a warm smile, just like how she usually is.

"…Mmm."

Laura sits down in front of Charlotte, half afraid of what might happen next. She tries to look as though as doesn't care much, but her expression of brooding betrays her thoughts.

"Laura, it's true that most of us feel unsatisfied about the decision that Ichika has made. Even I'm feeling slightly bitter about the choice, to be honest with you."

"…!"

"But after thinking it through for a while, I understand that this is the choice that Ichika has made, by himself. No one else can make this choice for him, and eventually he'll still have to choose between the five of us. Since it's a matter of time, why not let him choose sooner?"

Charlotte extends her hands forward, grapping hold of Laura's gently.

"Since Ichika has made his choice, then as friends we should be more supportive of his choice. Actually, even though I'm sad that he didn't choose me in the end, at least he chose you, Laura; my close friend."

"Close…friend?" Laura simply cannot comprehend what she's hearing. After all, she has expected herself to become public enemy the day Ichika has chosen her. Yet, Charlotte is here, being saying words of best wishes for her and even being a friend.

Slowly, tears start to flow down from Laura's eyes. Truly, she has never expected a treatment from Charlotte like this. After all, although they are considered friends after the inter-class tournament, Laura didn't really think that Charlotte will go so far as to be so selfless even when it comes to their shared love interest.

"It's fine, Laura. Girls are always allowed to be just a little more selfish for themselves!" Charlotte stands up and walks towards Laura, kneeling in front of her and giving her a hug, consoling her, "I'll always be your friend…"

Charlotte stayed in that position along with Laura, as Laura starts crying more audibly. It was as though as that this little moment of happiness, to be accepted by her friend caused all the pain from the past to explode out in the form of tears. From then on, Charlotte and Laura's friendship became stronger than ever.

After a good ten minutes later, Laura finally got herself back together, took out her eyepatch and starts wiping her eyes, "How humiliating…I've never cried in a long while, ever since the surgery that gave me my eye."

"Everyone has to cry once in a while…and wow, Laura your eye looks beautiful, just like a jewel." Charlotte exclaims.

"Huh? Oh…" Laura reaches towards her left eye, "I wonder if…Ichika will also think that it looks beautiful as well…"

"Here I am giving you a compliment, and you're over there thinking about Ichika again! Laura, you'll have all the time in the world to think about him next time!"

"T-T-That's not what I meant! I was just…just..." Laura flusters as she tries to explain herself.

"I'm just kidding! Woah, look at the time; we have to get packing already! I'll see you later, Laura!" Charlotte runs off, but not before waving goodbye to her friend.

As Laura watches Charlotte run off, she thought to herself…

(Even if one day, Ichika decides to choose someone else instead of me, I'll definitely not mind if he chooses to go with Charlotte…my best friend.)


End file.
